The Football Game That Got Sacked By a Little Swiss Girl

Imagine you're watching your team grind it out in the final minute of a nail-biter. Emotions are high, popcorn is flying, your eyes are glued to the screen. And then — poof — the game vanishes, replaced by a wholesome little girl in braids frolicking through the Alps.

Sounds like a bad dream, right?

Welcome to Nov. 17, 1968, a day now immortalized in sports lore as The Heidi Game — or, depending on who you ask, The Day NBC Learned Never to Mess with Football Fans.

Jets vs. Raiders: A Wild Ride

The New York Jets and Oakland Raiders were locked in a classic AFL slugfest. Broadway Joe Namath was slinging the ball, Daryle “The Mad Bomber” Lamonica was answering back, and the scoreboard was going crazy.

With just over a minute left, the Jets led 32–29. Fans were on the edge of their shag-carpeted seats.

And then it happened.

Cue the Yodeling

At precisely 7 p.m. Eastern, NBC pulled the plug. They switched to their scheduled broadcast of the made-for-TV movie Heidi, which told the story of a sweet Swiss orphan and her life in the Alps. The network had promised sponsors they’d air the movie on time, no matter what. They stuck to their guns.

Big mistake.

Because in those final 65 seconds — unseen by millions — the Raiders scored two touchdowns in 9 seconds to win the game 43–32.

Phones at NBC headquarters lit up like Times Square. We're talking jammed switchboards. Melted fuses. One poor NBC exec even had to climb on a desk and yell out updates to the room because the phone lines were completely overwhelmed by angry fans demanding answers.

The Fallout: Never Cut the Game Again

The outrage was so intense that NBC changed its policies almost overnight. From that point forward, no football game would be cut off before it was finished — no matter what adorable goat-herding movie was scheduled next.

And thus, the Heidi Game became a legend. It’s a moment that lives on in blooper reels, football documentaries, and the collective memory of sports fans everywhere.

Why it Still Matters

The Heidi Game isn’t just a funny footnote — it’s the reason you get to watch every Hail Mary, every last-second field goal, every ridiculous lateral-fest without fear of a surprise movie cut-in.

It’s also a perfect example of how sports and media collided in the '60s, and how one innocent programming decision turned into a defining moment in TV history.

So, the next time your game runs long and bumps the 60 Minutes, pour one out for little Heidi. She walked so your overtime thriller could run.

Watch the video below to see the ending to the game that so many football fans missed: